1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to microwave ovens, and more particularly, to a microwave oven in which a microwave from a magnetron propagates uniformly throughout an entire area of a cooking chamber in which food is cooked, to improve a cooking performance.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In general, the microwave oven generates the microwave from electricity and directs the microwave to food to generate heat inside of the food by molecular vibration, to heat the food within a short time period.
A related art microwave oven will be described with reference to the attached drawings. FIG. 1 illustrates a perspective view of a related art microwave oven. FIG. 2 illustrates a section of a related art microwave oven.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the related art microwave oven is provided with a cooking chamber 4 having a turntable 6 for placing food (not shown) thereon, a cabinet 2 outside the cooking chamber 4 having a control unit 28 for operating the microwave oven, and a door 10 rotatably mounted on the cabinet 2 having a look-through window 8.
The turntable 6 is rotatably supported on a plurality of rollers 12 secured to a rotation ring 14 at the bottom of the cooking chamber 4, and the rotation ring 14 has a center portion connected to a rotation shaft 17 of a driving motor 16 between the bottom of the cooking chamber 4 and the cabinet 2.
The cabinet 2 is provided with a magnetron 20 for generating the microwave, a heat dissipation fan (not shown) and a motor (not shown) for dissipating heat from the magnetron 20, and a waveguide 24 between the magnetron 20 and the cooking chamber 4.
In the related art microwave oven, the user places food intended to cook on the turntable 6, closes the door 10, and operates the controller 28 to cook the food. Then, the microwave is directed from the magnetron 20 to the cooking chamber 4 through the waveguide 24, and the microwave propagates through the food, to heat and cook the food.
In this instance, the rotation ring 14 and the rollers 12 rotate under the turntable 6 following rotation of the driving motor 16, and the food on the turntable 6 is heated as the turntable 6 and the food rotate together with the rollers 12.
However, in the related art microwave oven, since the turntable 6 rotates around the rotation shaft 17 of the driving motor 16 only, the food also rotates along a fixed rotation locus. Consequently, the microwave fails to reach to the food uniformly, thereby impairing cooking performance.
Moreover, the turntable 6, the rollers 12, and the rotation ring 14 in the cooking chamber 4 in which the food is to be cooked impede cleaning the cooking chamber 4. Particularly, if the food breaks away from the turntable 6, and sticks to the rollers 12, the rotation ring 14, etc., it is inconvenient for the user to remove the turntable 6 in order to clean the rollers 12 and the rotation ring 14.
Moreover, the size and the shape of the food to be introduced in the cooking chamber 4 are limited by the size and the shape of the turntable 6. Therefore, it is required to take the rotation of the turntable 6 into account before introducing the food into the cooking chamber 4.